TOURISM ESTABLISHMENTS’ RESILIENCY IN INTRAMUROS, MANILA: INPUTS FOR TOURISM RECOVERY PLAN

This study aimed to assess the tourism-related establishments’ resiliency in Intramuros, Manila in the year 2021-2022 as the basis of inputs in the tourism recovery plan. Further, it examined the tourism-related establishments service despite the pandemic, their coping mechanisms, and the challenges they faced based on their recovery plan. Using the mixed-method research design and purposive sampling method, a total of 70 managers and staff respondents completed the research-made survey questionnaire for the quantitative data collection. Consequently, a focus group discussion was conducted with the three participants of Intramuros Administration, and a one-on-one interview for the local government of Intramuros with a total of four participants was collected for the qualitative data. Data are analyzed simultaneously using a descriptive analysis for the quantitative data and a thematic analysis for the qualitative data, respectively. Results show that the managers and staff respondents continue to be in service despite the pandemic following the implemented health protocols imposed by the IATF and Intramuros Administration. Moreover, the high level of agreement on the coping mechanisms in terms of government response, technology and innovations, local belongingness and community, and local confidence shows the effectiveness of the programs they incorporated to readjust their establishments. Further, despite the coping mechanisms regulated in these establishments, they faced challenges in their recovery plans. With the results of the study, it is recommended that these tourism-related establishments should continue and maintain their good performance despite the pandemic. In addition, future researchers may adopt the same study and consider respondents from Marikina, Pasig, Antipolo, and Quezon City and add more respondents from Intramuros Manila after three years to validate the efficiency of the Proposed Action Plan.